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Friday, February 21, 2014

It's okay if you missed Valentine's Day, because the U District is showcasing an encore! I'm joined this eve by friends Corey and Jon, and our first stop is Starbucks, where Corey is having a solo show of her tiny angry animal paintings!

Artist Corey Skillman @ Starbucks

Across the street is Gargoyles with "Dark Love: The Sweet and the Sanguine" a group show featuring local artists and art exploring the darker side of love including Braden Duncan (me), Dani Bissonette, Heidi Estey, Jon Sproul, Lis Wright Ivec, Liv Rainey-Smith, Mike Mullins, Rebecca Tracy, Ryan Henry Ward, and Xavier Lopez Jr.

"Dark Love" @ Gargoyles

Corey & Jon @ Gargoyles

The last stop is BC Surf + Sport with their second annual "100 Art Show" featuring 100 local artists and over 100 pieces of art, all for only $10 each!

"100 Art Show" @ BC Surf + Sport

These shows are up all month, so stop by if you weren't able to make it out this eve!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

February is the hearty month! A collection of artists have put
together works based on two different shapes, (an anatomical heart and a
graphic heart lovingly laser crafted by Bellevue Fine Art Reproduction),
meant to showcase their experience of that whole love thing; known on
the internet as the mathematical equation “< 3″ or ♥.The opening reception will take place during the First Thursday Seattle Art Walk!

The show will remain up through the month of February, so if you
can’t make the opening, you will still have an opportunity to come by
and see the art!

The Seattle Arts Coalition is putting on another Arts & Crafts
Faire at Trabant on Saturday, 8 February from noon-4pm! Awesome art,
jewellery, cards, and more by local artists! Come find something unique
and handmade for your special someone(s) just in time for Valentine’s
Day!
As of Valentine’s Day, Trabant will officially be open Late Night! We
will be sampling some of their brand new dinner menu during the Arts
& Crafts Faire, so stop by for a delicious preview!

Monday, February 3, 2014

MyLife.com recently did a ranking of the 10 best cities in which to be an artist! They shared the link with me, so I'm sharing it with you!

I snagged the bits that were relevant to Seattle, but feel free to read the rest of the article to see who we were up against. (Used with permission from MyLife.com.)

From MyLife.com:

If you are an artist who is looking to make a name for themselves, or
at least make a little money, knowing how – and where – best to
accomplish that can be perplexing. But [MyLife has] compiled a list of the 10
best cities in which to thrive on your chosen profession.

Here’s How [MyLife] Ranked Them[MyLife] started with a list of the 50 most populous cities in the U.S. and
ranked them from one to 50 in each of the following categories:

Cost of Living – The lower the better. If you’re an artist, there’s a
pretty good chance you’re not going to have two grand a month to drop
on rent. This should help keep you from being a “starving” artist.

People 20-34 years of age – Not that older people aren’t artists,
but if you’re looking to move to a new city to start a new career, you
are likely in this age bracket. So the more close to your age the
better.

People working in the arts industry – Much like knowing how many
people are your age, you’d also probably like to know how many people
are working in the same field as you. The more there are, the better
possibility of meeting someone with the same ambitions as you.

Number of museums and galleries in the city – Culture matters. If
the city cares about art, there will be more of these to visit; thus
there would be a solid chance you could have a good career there.

Households with income greater than $200,000 – Let’s face it;
potential buyers aren’t budgeting to buy art the same way they would a
car or a house. If your art is going to be bought, you need more people
with deep pockets.

After establishing a ranking for each of those categories, we
assigned a score to each city for those categories as well. Once those
were added up, we divided the sum into an average; the lower that
average was the better.

The city known for tossing fish and angry Seahawks had good reason to come in at number two on our list. Despite ranking 40th
in cost of living, it more than made up for that by ranking fifth and
fourth in percent of its population that are between the ages of 20-34,
and in number of galleries and museums, respectively.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

If you
need your art fix for the month of February (and I know I do!),
here are
some
shows that you won't want to miss! February is traditionally the month of love, but if you're looking for an obscure holiday to celebrate aside from (or in addition to) Valentine's Day, check out these: Groundhog Day (2nd), Make a Friend Day (11th), Random Acts of Kindness Day (17th), International Kazoo Day (19th), Hoodie Hoo Day (20th), and Public Sleeping Day (27th)! If you're looking for a gift for that special someone, you only have to look as far as your local art walk to find a uniquely hand-crafted piece of awesome!

LAST CHANCE:

"Franz von Stuck" atFrye Art Museum featuring the renowned Symbolist painter, architect, designer,
and cofounder of the Munich Secession. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary
of his birth and the 120th anniversary of his American debut, Franz von Stuck
is celebrated in the first monographic exhibition in the United States
dedicated to his accomplishments. The exhibition showcases his graphic and
architectural design and his photography, as well as spectacular canvases that
generated both praise and controversy among American critics of his day for
their “cachet of strangeness, which comes from a modern treatment of legendary,
biblical, mystic or symbolic subjects.” (from fryemuseum.org) Show closes Sunday, 2 February!

"Corvids & Kittens" at Gargoyles Statuary featuring black bird and black cat watercolors by
Braden Duncan. She will have originals, prints, and cards available
celebrating some of our favorite creatures! Show runs through 17 February!

COMING UP:

"Catz!" at Ltd Gallery, Saturday, 1 February from 6-10pm. Cats;
they don't JUST run the internet. Come celebrate your love of kitties
IRL at this new art show! Featuring your favorite feline friends mashed
up with your favorite Pop Culture characters/moments/worlds. Featuring the stylings of DJ Hojo and free libations!

"Happiness Is... A Cup of Coffee" by Vikram Madan at Local Color in Pike Place Market, Saturday, 1 February from 6-8pm. Presenting a series of 30
whimsical miniature oil paintings by Vikram Madan celebrating our love
for coffee. On display at Local Color in Pike Place Market all through
Feb and March 2014. There will be 3 other artists in the reception, each with their
own mini show-within-a-show.

"Eros: Expressions of Desire" at A/NT Gallery, Saturday, 1 February from 6-9pm. Featuring art that celebrates the diversity of love and lust. Join is
for the opening on February 1, 2014, from 6pm - 9pm. We'll have wine,
food, and live music from Violet Heart. We'll be giving cash prizes for the best art work, determined by
popular vote during the opening. Free to the public. All art lovers
are welcome!

Trabant Coffee & Chai and the Seattle Arts Coalition present: "Valentine's Day Arts & Crafts Faire" on Saturday, 8 February from noon-4pm. Awesome art, jewellery, cards, and more by local artists! Come find
something unique and handmade for your special someone(s) just in time
for Valentines Day!

The 2nd
Saturday Art Attack in Georgetown, Saturday 8 February from
6-9pm. Selected shows: Eight and Sand - "Red" a group show. Red is a very powerful
color. We relate it to love and anger, it’s the color of our blood when
it flows out. In this group show the artists were asked only to have the
work somehow relate to the color or the word. local and national
artists are participating.Georgetown Arts & Cultural Centre - "Hotel Valentine: Get a Room!"Celebrate love and art at
our special group show. Resident and visiting artists will transform
the art center (formerly a 1900s hotel) into a love nest! Come view
sculpture, installations and other media that touches upon all the
aspects of love. Find something special for your special someone. Enter a
raffle for prizes, including a free night at Hotel Valentine (tickets
available night of event). LxWxH
Gallery - "Volumetric" by Jess Rees. Jess Rees presents a body
of gouache paintings focusing on the structure and geometry of
architectural spaces. Her work depicts houses, city blocks, and spaces
that simultaneously embody both hollow and solid natures, exploring the
idea of architecture’s role as both object and container. Her experience
as a human living above ground in urban apartments plays into her
exploration of things that are undeniably rooted to the ground. LxWxH Subscription Project - "Every Day." This
individual artist set features original work by Rumi Koshino and a
chapbook by Jennifer Borges Foster. Titled
LxWxH (xED) - "EveryDay", this issue of LxWxH is a languid
study of fleeting moments in daily life both beautiful and tragic, and
sometimes quiet. $150 for the set.Also check out new work at9lb Hammer,Artcore Tattoo, Belle & Whissel, Fantagraphics
Bookstore,Georgetown Trailer Park Mall, Krab
Jab Studios,Nautilus
Studios, The Roving
Gallery,Smarty Pants, Totally Blown
Glassworks, Two Tartes Cafe, Wax Expressions,
and more!

The 2nd Thursday
Art Walk in Capitol Hill, Thursday, 13 February from 5-9pm. Selected shows:Blindfold
Gallery- "Magic Nudes" Photographs by Paul Dahlquist and Almendra SandovalGhost Gallery - "Portraits & Dream Worlds"
by Uyen Tran-Gjerde. Uyen Tran-Gjerde is a
figurative painter who has always held a fascination for abstract art.
She uses both color and shape to convey a sense of dimension, depth and
meaning. Her primary focus continues to be the figure as she is most
interested in the human condition — the psyche, what’s hidden beneath
the surface. She creates a world where dream and reality converge. Her
art expresses a sense of joy and exhilaration as well as tranquility, longing, anticipation and mystery.Ltd Gallery - "Catz!"(encore opening) featuring over a dozen artists and pop culture cat-themed art!True Love
Gallery - "Current Events" featuring Joey Veltkamp & John RizzottoVermilion - "TOUCH ME: I am Violent."The concept is born out
of the wall that exists when experiencing art. The first rule is not to
touch the work. Rightly one of the purposes of exhibits and museums is
to sustain and protect the work. And touching expedites the process of
deterioration. Featuring Christopher Shaw, Crystal Barbre, Daveda Russell, Ellie Dicola, Greg Lundgren, Janet Galore, Jennifer McNeely, Kat Larson, Lucien Pellegrin, Megumi Shauna Arai, Sharon Arnold, Siolo Thompson, andTariqa Waters. Also check out new work a Apocalypse
Tattoo, Boom Noodle, Cafe PettiRosso,Cloud Gallery at Frame Central, Cupcake Royale,High 5 Pie, IN Arts Collective,Joe Bar, Laughing
Buddha, Online Cafe, Poco Wine + Spirits,Retrofit Home, and more!

"Transmission" at the Mercury,
Thursday, 13 February from 9.30pm til late. You do not have to be a member
for this night, and you do not need a member to sign you in. It is open
to the
public. No dress code. Free for members before 9.30pm, $5 for
non-members. Starts at 9pm and goes
til 2am. The performer will go on around 10.30 and again at 11.30, and
the
artist will be there all night. Come buy art, drinks, hear music and
watch a
sexy lady dance. "Transmission" happens the 2nd Thursday of every
month.

Jen Kiaba @ Twilight Gallery

The 2nd Thursday
Art Walk in West Seattle, Thursday, 13 February
from 6-9pm. Selected shows:Skylark Cafe - "Come Draw With Me!" Live drawing session with Joseph Brooks!Twilight Gallery - "Fade into You: An Artist's Mixtape"Songs
of heartbreak accompany us throughout time as we makeup and breakup.
What mix of songs do you play when you crush, love, fuck, fuck-up, pine,
ache, obsess and deny? Can a compilation of songs save you or
explain you? Can the mood or theme of the mixtape make the object of
your affections UNDERSTAND how you really feel in your achy, achy
tortured soul? Is the art of the mixtape a universal art form? Fade Into You asks artists to assign a song title to their visual
expression of the exquisite arc of pain we call love. From the fleeting
first-love, to an unquenchable lust, to the socialized ideal of
commitment, and finally to the inevitable end of despair and
heartbreak. It is art inspired by the history of love and loss in music
within the context of an individual’s relationships and experiences. Also check out new work at Arts West,Click! Design That Fits, The Heartland Cafe, Hotwire
Coffee, Shadowland, Shoofly Pie, West 5, Wild Rose's, Windermere,
and more!

Urban Light Studios - "Light Pollution" On Valentines Day this
year, come and bask in the low, romantic light that will be cast ever so
lightly on these nocturnal landscapes by Orion Misciagna. Also,"A Child's Heart: A Tribute to Hayao Miyazaki" (encore opening) featuring work from over 40 local artists, as well as vendors and musicians!Also check out new and exciting work at Chocolatti,Gainsbourg, Home Suite Home,Naked City
Brewery, Two Bird Tattoo and more!

"Feminist Eclat" @ Form/Space Atelier

The 2nd
Friday Art Walk in Belltown, Friday, 14 February from 6-9pm. This Friday is "Lovers Art Walk" in Belltown! Hit up 5 artwalk venues,
get your map stamped at those venues, and you'll be entered to win a
prize from neighborhood establishments, including tote bags, free
classes, and more! Also, as a bonus, the Belltown Community Center has Parent's Night Out, so you can walk the Lover's Walk kid-free! Selected shows:Form/Space Atelier - "Feminist Eclat No. 9 & Fallen", a site specific installation by Hayley Boyd will exhibit January
10- March 8, 2014, providing Form/Space Atelier's annual Feminist Eclat
exhibition with new and exciting visual information to narrate the
thematic premise.Stylus Salon - "Signs & Omens" by Salyna Gracie. Show runs through 8 March.Also check out brand new work at A/NT
Gallery, Bikes + Art, City Hostel Seattle, Patricia Cameron Gallery,Pintxo & The Upstairs,Rudy's Barber Shop, Sassafras,Seattle Ink & Oil, and more!

The3rd
Thursday Art Walkin Edmonds, Thursday, 20 Februaryfrom 5-8pm. Selected shows:Otherworlds -"Winging it with Whim and Whimsy: Yet Another Gaggle of Humorous & Whimsical Art" by Vikram Madan. In addition to the art walk, Otherworlds
regularly hosts fun and exciting
steampunk/gamer/geek/sci-fi/fantasy/gothic/horror-themed events! Cheesemongers
is right next door if you find yourself in need of something delicious, and you
can check out new work at ARTspot, Arts Now, C'est La
Vie, The Papery, Red
Petal Cakes, Stunningly Strange Gallery, and more
than 30 other Edmonds art spaces!

"Here Amid the Wild Woods" at Auguste Clown Gallery in Victoria, Australia! Friday, 21 February. This one isn't in Seattle, but I had to share it anyway! Step into the daydreams
of Seattle artist Kari-Lise Alexander, and enter a curious world where
maidens and creatures roam! Inspired by her Scandinavian heritage, fairy tales and Norwegian
folklore, Kari-Lise uses the traditional art of rosemaling to detail her
paintings and explores ideas of wild nature within. With past
exhibitions across the United States and the United Kingdom, “Here Amid
the Wild Woods” marks Kari-Lise's first solo show in Australia. On view through 9 March.

"FaerieCon West" at the Seattle Doubletree Hilton, Friday-Sunday, 21-23 February. A convention for all things faerie! Featuring music, authors, and artists from all over the globe! Don't miss “Faeries: An Exhibition of Modern Masters of
Fantasy.” Curated by Julie Baroh of Krabjab Studio in Seattle, we will
present original paintings and drawings by an amazing collection of internationally acclaimed faerie and fantasy artists for both exhibit and sale!

ONGOING:

"Nightmare Inductions" @ CoCA

"Nightmare Inductions" at CoCA, Thursday, 16 January through Thursday, 10 April. CoCA is pleased to
present Nightmare Inductions, a series of interactive installations by
the arts collective Noxious Sector. With the aid of brain wave
entraining sound and video, participants are guided through a shared
trance induction experience. Each experience focuses on a common
nightmare theme. Three separate themes are offered in three induction
areas: Dreams of Falling; Dreams of Teeth; and Noxious Sector's most
recent creation, Forgetting.

The SAAM is featuring "A Fuller View of China, Japan & Korea." The exhibition runs through 13 April 2014. Dr.
Richard Fuller’s 40 years as the museum’s founding director are the bedrock of
its history, and his passion for art resonates with collectors of his time and
beyond. In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum,
this installation shows how Dr. Fuller, his family and friends, and several
more recent Seattle collectors, built SAM’s celebrated Asian art collections.
Featuring some of SAM’s best-loved works such as the Poem Scroll with Deer, the
installation showcases the incredible quality and diversity that make SAM’s
Asian art collection one of the finest in the country. The selected Chinese
paintings and calligraphy also celebrate the launch of an innovative online
scholarly catalogue, a multi-year project sponsored by the J. Paul Getty
Foundation. (from www.seattleartmuseum.org)

Robert Davidson @ SAM

The SAMis currently featuring a multitude of exhibits! Check out:"Abstract Impulse" by Robert Davidson. Robert Davidson has been a pivotal figure in the Northwest Coast
Native art renaissance since 1969, when he erected the first totem pole
in his ancestral Massett village since the 1880s. For over 40 years he
has mastered Haida art traditions by studying the great works of his
great-grandfather Charles Edenshaw and others. More recently, Davidson
has interjected his own interpretation of the old forms with forays into
abstraction, explored in boldly minimalistic easel paintings, graphic
works and sculpture, where images are pared to essential lines,
elemental shapes and strong colors.The exhibition will feature 45
paintings, sculptures and prints created since 2005, as well as key
images from earlier in his career that show Davidson’s evolution toward
an elemental language of form."In a Silent Way," photographic reflections on African American identities and histories. Show runs through 1 December."William Cordova: Machu Picchu After Dark," installation sculpture. Show runs through 19 January 2014."From Abstract Expressionism to Coloured Planes."Early in
the 1940s, artists in New York began to develop an expressive, abstract style
of painting that was a stark departure from previous ideas, both artistically
and historically. Up until World War II, the center of artistic production in
the West had been Paris, and artists from around Europe, the United States and
South America had flocked there to study and to work. This changed profoundly
in the 1940s. Featuring Arshile Gorky, Hans Hoffman, Jackson Pollack, and Lee Krasner.

The Henry
Art Gallery is currently hosting"The Bikeriders" in the North Galleries, photographic work by Danny Lyon. During the 1960s and 1970s several photographers, including Diane Arbus,
Larry Clark, and Susan Meiselas, documented life on the fringes of
society, providing a glimpse of counterculture from the inside out.
These images were often published as narrative sequences in books that
told complex stories in multiple pictures. In the early 1960s Danny Lyon
(U.S., born 1942) joined the Chicago Outlaw Motorcycle Club and began
photographing his fellow Hell’s Angels while traveling with the club on
his 650cc Triumph motorcycle. The result was one of the seminal
photographic essays of his generation, and the 1968 publication The Bikeriders that contained over 50 photographs and interviews with Lyon’s subjects. (from www.henryart.org) Show runs thru 4 May.

The Frye Art Museum isfeaturing Isamu Noguchi and Qi Baishi: Beijing 1930. This exhibition brings
together for the first time the work of two of the most influential
artists of the twentieth century, Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904-1988)
and Qi Baishi (Chinese, 1864-1957). Comprising drawings, ink paintings,
calligraphic works, and sculptures from the University of Michigan
Museum of Art, the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, and
private and public collections, it presents forty-three works by Noguchi
and twenty-three by Qi Baishi. The exhibition and its accompanying
publication document the period of six months that Noguchi spent in
Beijing and shed new light on the little-known relationship between the
two artists.”(from fryemuseum.org) The
Frye also hosts an art lecture series every Thursday night.

With this
much going on, you couldn't possibly complain that there's nothing to do in
Seattle!